What about the French? Will they be appropriating great American tunes and by making them their own? Brother John, Brother John, are you sleeping?

The real reason I oppose the singing of the Star Spanish Banner is because in Bush's America, Hispanics should always remember that they are the Gringos--even if they were Born in the USA.

Maybe I should send this sarcastic revolting letter to Fox News.

[ 29 April 2006: Message edited by: Skinny Dipper ]

Edited again to change signing into singing. 2x

[ 29 April 2006: Message edited by: Skinny Dipper ]

quote:

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Originally posted by Nanuq:
It's a pity that the jingoists lost sight of that.

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DID SOMEONE SAY "Jingo"!!!!
Let's Par-Tay!!!

Macdermott's War Song

The "Dogs of War" are loose and the rugged Russian Bear,
All bent on blood and robbery has crawled out of his lair...
It seems a thrashing now and then, will never help to tame...
That brute, and so he's out upon the "same old game"...
The Lion did his best... to find him some excuse...
To crawl back to his den again. All efforts were no use...
He hunger'd for his victim. He's pleased when blood is shed...
But let us hope his crimes may all recoil on his own head...

Chorus:
We don't want to fight but by jingo if we do...
We've got the ships, we've got the men, and got the money too!
We've fought the Bear before... and while we're Britons true,
The Russians shall not have Constantinople...

quote:

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Originally posted by Sanityatlast:
I don't like flag waving and national anthems sung in any language.

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Right on, Sanity. It is in the interest of the power elites to emphasize the differences between people, rather than the similarities...

Although, I do have a sneaking pleasure seeing Kanada beat the USA at any kind of sporting event..

quote:

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Originally posted by Skinny Dipper:
I think I should be 100 percent against the singing of the Star Spangled Banner en Español.

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And since so many USians are Spanish-speaking, is it wrong to accommodate them linguistically?

Should USians be "100 percent" against singing O Canada in French?

quote:

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...in Bush's America, Hispanics should always remember that they are the Gringos--even if they were Born in the USA.

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So, is there a push to have the anthem in Spanish too? I hadn't heard about that. I'm just curious what made you think of this.

Why else would the President of the United States be commenting on the issue?

It bears remembering though, that during the recent demonstrations against the Republican immigration policy, Hispanics were castigated for showing the Mexican flag. "You should use US symbols" they were told.

quote:

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Originally posted by Michelle:
Oh boy. I hope folks who read your first post realize that you're (hopefully) being satirical, SD.

So, is there a push to have the anthem in Spanish too? I hadn't heard about that. I'm just curious what made you think of this.

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The anthem debate in itself seems quite frivolous. I think what matters more is how Americans view other Americans and non-citizens living in the US. We could have the same discussion about our fellow Canadians.

In the good olden days (when Canadian kids walked two miles to and from school uphill both ways each day), immigrants who moved to Canada would settle in poor inner-city or small rural areas, work their way up and because WASPy Canadians.

When official multiculturalism started in the 1970s, the immigrants could keep their songs, dance, food, and wear their non-Eaton's clothing on special days. Otherwise, one was expected to look and act WASPy in public.

Well, trends change. The immigrants are no longer settling in inner cities or rural outposts. They are instantly living the suburban dream with a house that has a two car garage, their own upscale businesses, and sometimes shopping malls. The children don't always think of NHL hockey, baseball, or CFL/NFL football. Soccer and basketball hold more appeal. Rap music beats rock. There is a mix of old country and new Canadian culture. But, the new culture is not always "traditional" culture with hockey and Timbits.

quote:

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Rice breaks with Bush over anthem

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in a rare public break with her boss, saw no problem with a Spanish-language version of the national anthem criticised by US President George W. Bush.

Mr Bush last week added a new dimension to a debate over immigration by rejecting a Latino recording of Nuestro Himno (Our Anthem) and declaring the Star-Spangled Banner should be sung in English.

"From my point of view, people expressing themselves as wanting to be Americans is a good thing," she said in an interview on CBS television's Face the Nation program.

"I've heard the national anthem done in rap versions, country versions, classical versions. The individualisation of the American national anthem is quite under way," she said.
Sunday Times

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quote:

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This morning, ThinkProgress revealed that, according to Kevin Phillip’s book American Dynasty, Bush himself sang the national anthem in Spanish. Looks like Bush’s conviction that “the national anthem ought to be sung in English� was something he acquired very recently.

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